Three Days in Orlando:
Five Great Moments from the 2022 TANGO2 Family Conference!
The 2022 TANGO2 Family Conference recently wrapped up, and we’d say it was a huge success! From exciting educational sessions to groundbreaking new info, there was a lot to take in. If you missed something, don’t worry! We’re going to recap some of the great moments we shared together in our 2.5 days!
So, without further ado: it’s recap time!
ONE: The conference started on a Sunday evening with a lovely welcome reception at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. Families were greeted with many hugs and had the opportunity to spend time with conference speakers, board members, medical professionals, and our founders, Mike and Kasha Morris. For many attendees, this was the first time families were able to meet and interact with other TANGO2 families in person. With absolute priceless bonds made, all attendees gathered for group photos (which can be found here).
TWO: Monday morning we were all inspired to become 1% Better each day by keynote speakers Chris and Nik Nikic. Chris set a new world record by becoming the first person with Down Syndrome to complete a 140.6-mile Ironman, and we all delighted in hearing him and his father share their story. If you missed this heartwarming presentation, you can grab Chris and Nik’s book, 1% Better: Reaching My Full Potential and How You Can Too here.
THREE: Our TANGO2 families watched an emotional video featuring our children titled, “Faces of TANGO2 Disease”. Each child with us, as well those that left us too soon were featured, leaving very few dry eyes in the room. These precious faces are why we do what we do!
FOUR: Monday and Tuesday were filled with informative scientific presentations and workshops by medical professionals and families. Attendees found a deeper understanding of TANGO2- related disorder, with helpful insights into mitochondrial dysfunction, metabolic studies, cardiac crises, the Natural History Study and many other topics which can be read here in our program. Special thanks to all of the speakers and those who helped run the workshop and breakout sessions.
FIVE: We celebrated our families and volunteers raising almost $90,000 in our Shine a Light on TANGO2 Campaign! What a wonderful celebration it was! A special thanks to our top individual fundraisers: Matt Dort, Cole Hudson, Kara Cameron, David Longman and Ann Geffen. Our top teams were: Jake Taggart, Hudson’s Heroes, Team Ryan, Bria’s Bears and Team Thea! Our very own TANGO2 hero, Kate Clay aka “DJ Icecat” kept the music pumping for us all during the lunchtime celebration.
In summary, we want to give a HUGE thanks to everyone who attended the 2022 TANGO2 Family Conference! Thank you to the amazing speakers and all who helped make the event possible. A special thank you to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, UPMC, and TOKIO Marine HCC – D&O Group, which partially funded the conference and continuing to recognize the TANGO2 Research Foundation as a patient-led organization that is making a positive impact on the lives of patients and families affected by TANGO2- related disease.
If you were not able to join us this year, we will be posting videos on our YouTube Channel in the next few weeks. We hope you enjoyed our recap and that we will see you at the next conference in 2024!
